Our website uses cookies to improve your user experience. If you continue browsing, we assume that you consent to our use of cookies. More information can be found in our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

Report: multi-channel retailers ignoring mobile, for now

The future is mobile. At least that’s what many suggest. Yet multi-channel retailers are largely ignoring mobile right now.

That’s according to a report from Multichannel Merchant. It found that, as of February 2010, four out of five multi-channel retailers surveyed were not doing anything in the realm of mobile commerce.

Of those who are active with m-commerce, slightly less than 11% are using mobile ads to lure shoppers, and just 6.5% have a mobile website. Even fewer (under 5%) have an iPhone app, distribute mobile coupons or purchase mobile search ads.

If mobile is going to be one of the most important channels going forward, why do so many multi-channel retailers seem to be indifferent when it comes to being ahead of the curve on mobile commerce? According to eMarketer, Multichannel Merchant’s report suggests that consumers are just starting to dabble with mobile commerce, meaning the market is still relatively small. And mobile carriers’ “failure to keep up with consumer demand” is a deterrent to investment.

Needless to say, it’s somewhat disheartening to see that multi-channel retailers are taking it so slow with mobile. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Multi-channel strategies are hard to implement successfully, and mobile is a challenging channel. From dealing with a multitude of devices and platforms to interface limitations, multi-channel retailers will have a lot to address if they want to ‘get it right‘ with mobile.

Given this, it’s not entirely surprising that retailers are being cautious. It’s the prudent thing to do. But as mobile platforms mature, new mobile ad options proliferate, and new kinds of mobile devices hit the market providing for new experiences, expect more and more multi-channel retailers to test the waters over the coming years, even if they don’t jump in head first.

Recommended

When Gawker media purchased a lost — or stolen — iPhone last month, the company set in motion a fascinating story that has much less to do with the specs of Apple’s latest product than the state of journalism online and the procurement of information in a digital world. The notoriously secretive Steve Jobs was none too pleased that his latest prototype made it into the wild early. But the company’s legal strategy is yet more proof that companies that win in court do not always win over potential customers.

For a long time film studios have kept a subset of films away from critics before their premiere. The logic is that these films — from horror pics to big budget thrillers and comedies — might get bad reviews and will fare better going directly to the public.

The feeling is that the approach might at least help these films get a strong opening weekend. And now studios are relying on social media for that purpose. But as Hollywood is increasingly trying to get people to see big budget films with dwindling marketing budgets, social media is getting more of the credit and blame for box office success or failure.

Rolling Stone is making headlines today for relauching its website with complete access to its 43 year magazine archive — for a price. The music magazine has added all sorts of features online and plans to charge $3.99 a month for access.

This is all part of founder Jann Wenner’s plan to protect magazine content from being
cannibalized online. However, there’s one group left out of this new plan — Rolling Stone’s print subscribers. They’ll have to pony up for a monthly online subscription if they want to access the new content.

USA Today, like the majority of dailies in the United States, has a
problem. Last year, its circulation suffered a significant drop, and
it’s now the number two daily after being surpassed by the Wall Street
Journal.

So what’s USA Today to do? Obviously, it needs to change. And a small
change is coming in the form of a deal the newspaper has struck with
Demand Media to provide ‘Travel Tips by Demand Media‘ on USAToday.com.

China’s internet filter, dubbed the ‘Great Firewall’, is frequently the subject of discussion, and a source of scorn directed at the nation’s Communist government.

But when it comes to defending itself against Great Firewall censorship criticisms, China might soon suggest that its critics look at another country: the UK. That’s because the controversial Digital Economy Bill passed in the House of Commons last night, 189 to 47. And it gives the British government the wonderful ability to filter sites off the internet too.

According to a newly-published study published by Pew, nearly three-quarters of Facebook users polled said they didn’t know that Facebook generates and stores data about their interests and traits, and, when they came to learn this, over half indicated that they were uncomfortable with Facebook’s practice.

Mastercard, the third-largest credit card processor in the US, has announced a new policy that will make it more difficult for some businesses to automatically convert free trials into recurring subscriptions.